MY Lord Bishop of Edinburgh laving appointed me to reveiw and examine a Book Compiled by Mr. John Alexander Preacher of the Gospel Intituled Jesuitico Quakerism Examin'd or Quakers Confuted These are assuring that it not only Contains nothing contrary to the Christian Religion to the Doctrine Worship or Government of the Church of Scotland but that it exactly though briefly compriseth the Marrow of many great Truths in order to the vindication of those solid Articles of our Faith ignorantly and unreasonably invaded by that Heretical fry of Quakers and that with knowledge and care the Author hath Refuted their Irreligious and Blasphemous Positions so that it may prove a very useful Book And therefore I humbly judge it very deserving to be Imprinted This is Testified by John Hamilton Leith Octob. 16. 1679. Jesuitico-Quakerism Examined OR A CONFUTATION OF The Blasphemous and unreasonable Principles of THE QUAKERS With a Vindication of the Church of God IN BRITAIN FROM Their Malicious Clamours and Slanderous Aspersions By John Alexander Preacher of the Gospel Isaiah 8.20 Te the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Luk. 16.29 31. They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead 1 John 4.1 Beloved believe not every Spirit but trie the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the world LONDON Printed for Dorman Newman at the Sign of the Kings Arms in the Poultry 1680. To the Right Honorable Sir Robert Clayton Knight Lord Mayor of the Famous City of London the Author wisheth Grace Mercy and Peace MY Lord this ensuing Treatise comes to Salute the World and appear upon the publick Stage under the Honorable Shade and Patrociny of your name not presuming to add any Lustre thereunto whereof it is uncapable and whereof your Lordships Prudence and Vertues have been such publick Heraulds to the World that I shall rather impose a Cessation to my Pen and enjoyn my self a necessary silence as my highest Encomium than be Guilty with Apelles in forming of the Image of interweaving the constrained Failzeurs of my best Rhetorick with your Lordships deserved Commendation But knowing the hazard of these publick Scenes and the Worlds view where there is always a Momus ready to carp it comes to seek shelter under your Lordships favorable Protection whereunto it is also encouraged with good hopes of obtaining the cheerful Countenance of your Authority because of your Pious and Laudable Zeal against all the enemies of our Orthodox Faith and the Divine Truth especially these pernicious and beyond all Heathens most inhumane Proto-plasta's of Quakerism I mean the Jesuits unto whom the latter Profession owes the Founding of their Order and a great many of their Principles be they never so shie and nice to Confess it It doth also with Modest humility lay claim to one interest into your Lordships Tutelage because albeit it was elsewhere conceived and had the form of one Embryo yet it hath received its just measures for a regular Birth within the precinct of your Honorable Jurisdiction and though of Scottish Parentage yet it is truly London Born I know very well there are many in this declining Age of Christianity who account all Disputations about Principles of Religion how necessary soever providing men live well to be but vain Jangling wherein they exactly Homologate the Quakers as I well know but their provision though it were granted to be enough which it is not is impossible if people be misled in necessary Principles seeing no man can live well who mistakes his Rode-way and follows wrong directions and lies and therefore as we are very heartily willing to Discharge all Debates about Opinions which yield no fruit to Edification and make us no sounder Christians so their great care is to have all the other Cashiered also But when the most necessary Truths are boldly invaded and our common Faith in danger to be supplanted it looks not like Christian Courage or Zeal but is rather a plain betraying of Truth for us to hold our peace and suffer the enemy how contemptible soever they may seem by their real Triumphs though but counterfeited Trophees of a pretended Victory erected meerly upon our Cowardise and Sloth not the overthrow of our Cause or their Strength to gather Proselytes and increase their numbers This is not to be valiant for the Truth upon the Earth Christ did not so let the Sadduces a contemptible and foolish people pass without a demonstrative Confutation Paul also fought with Beasts at Ephesus and his Epistles declare what care he took at the Spirits direction too to redargue the Errors of his time This Tractate shall not much value the obloquy and Sarcasms of these men nor of any other whom nothing can please which is not either the fruit of their proper Invention or else at least adequately adjusted to their prejudicate apprehensions and foreconceived Opinions if it be but which is its great ambition acceptable to your Lordship and Edifying to such as desire to know and love the Truth And though reflecting upon the Brutish absurdity of the party against whom I have Embarqu'd in this Province not only renouncing all true Principles of Religion but also stifling their very faculties of reason my adopting of this piece so high may almost seem unsutable yet when I contemplate the great Worth and Excellency of the Subject Matter and Theme I am to treat upon being no less then the whole Divine Ordinances of the Gospel and the most precious and many of them most necessary Truths of Jesus I hope my Nuncupation shall no ways be thought incongruous if I have but been so happy as rightly to encounter the Adversaries and dextrously to vindicate and display the Standard of the Sacred Truth which with what force and evidence I have done I submit to your Lordships Vmpirage and Judgment whom that God may bless and make prosperous here and eternally happy hereafter is the earnest Prayer of your Lordships most Obedient Servant John Alexander TO THE READER THese seventeen following Queries of the Quakers having come to my hand with a direction bearing my Name I did for some time stand in Bivio doubting with my self if it should be worth the while to bring them to the Anvil one while fearing lest Truth through my weakness should be at a disadvantage and another while accounting it almost an unnecessary undertaking to offer to redargue such distracted and Brutish Errors the very Grossness whereof might alone be sufficient to overthrow and Crush their Reputation with every man not depriv'd of sense and rob'd of a sound mind But after more mature and due consideration that an undervalued and neglected enemy proves ordinarily the most dangerous and that unsavory Hemlock except it be digged out and Exfundat may grow and
could never be acquired by Experience such as the Doctrine of Predestination of the Hypostatical union of God and man in one Person of Justification by the Righteousness of Christ of the general Judgment of the three persons in the Godhead And what think the Quakers of the Prophetical part of Scripture Infallibly foretelling things at a great distance to come Are these Narrations of Saints Experiences Or was the knowledge of them got by Experience O learned Divines Hence we may see that at least some of the Quakers prefer themselves and their Doctrine to the Prophets and Apostles and their Doctrine which is say they but the Saints Words and Testimony from their own particular Experiences but the Quakers Doctrine must be Divinely Inspired forsooth Fourth QUERY Whether or not the Scriptures were the Rule of Enochs Faith Noahs Faith and Holy men in the Old World and Second World Whether or not they were a Rule to Abrahams Faith Isaac and Jacobs Faith and Moses 's Faith and all the Patriarchs And whether or not they had Scriptures till Moses did Write them Answer these things by plain Scripture SVRVEY This Query comprehends the great controversie with the Quakers concerning the Rule of Faith and Manners and therefore because my Survey will be large I shall divide it into three Sections In the first I shall prove the Scriptures to be the Rule of Faith and Manners In the Second I shall confute an exception or distinction which some of the more subtil of our adversaries offer to our Arguments In the third I shall answer their Objections SECT I. Proving the Scriptures to be the Infallible Rule The thing that the Quakers drive at in this Query is that because Enoch Noah and others in the Primitive world had not a written Word of God for the Rule of their Faith That therefore neither should the Written Word of God be the Rule of our Faith This beside that it is their known Principles as Witnesseth their foresaid Confession of Faith called The Principles of Truth wherein they most frequently cry up the Light within every man as his only Rule and decry the Scriptures and all external Ordinances to their utmost Breath as may be seen pag. 5 78 79 80 92 102 103 124 133 136 140 Is either the Scope of this their present Query or else it hath no Scope at all and so it must be the fruit of some Distraction they having thereby intended nothing Well then the Quakers must either acknowledge Scripture-Testimony for Truth as I hope they will seeing they here require us to answer by Scripture and then we shall soon see an end of the Question from the Scripture or else they must deny Scripture-Testimony to be true and shall proclaim God a Lyar whose Testimony the Scriptures are and by whose Inspiration they were given as is proved in the former Queries Survey which is the height of Blasphemy These things premised I Assert against the Quakers that the Scriptures are the Infallible Rule of our Faith and Manners That the Scriptures are Infallible is sufficiently proved at the Survey of their former Query where we proved them to be of Divine Inspiration and the Word of the Living God and not of any meer Creature and so they cannot deceive so that for their Infallibility we need say no more That therefore the Scriptures are the Rule of Faith and Manners I prove For first That must be the Rule of Faith and Manners by which every matter of Faith and Manners ought to be examin'd seeing every thing that is examined must be examined by its Rule or else it will be done by Guess and Rule of Thumb as the Jest is But every matter of Faith and Manners ought to be examined by the Scriptures Ergo the Scriptures are the Rule of Faith and Manners The Major is proved already I prove the Minor from Isai 8.20 Where we are expresly Commanded to go to the Law and the Testimony with every matter of Faith and Manners and it is positively declared that if it be not according to these there is no Light in it which is a sufficient Prohibition to receive it And the Law and Testimony are the Scriptures Exod. 32.15 and 34.29 Deut. 31.24 26. 2 King 22.8 Neh. 8.1 3 8. Psal 78.5 Secondly Christ says to the Sadducees upon a great Article of Faith that ignorance of the Scriptures caused them to err therein Ergo the Scriptures are the Rule of Faith The Antecedent is Taught by Christ himself Mat. 22.29 Mark 12.24 Ye err saith he not knowing the Scriptures and because ye know not the Scriptures I prove the Consequence because if the ignorance of any other Doctrine except the Rule of Faith should cause a man to err upon an Article of Faith then though a man did perfectly know the Rule of Faith yet he might err in the Faith through ignorance But the Consequent inferred is repugnant for then he knows all the Articles of his Faith and yet he believes wrong through ignorance that is because he knows not what to believe Therefore the Antecedent from which it is inferred is also repugnant Thirdly Christ sends all men to the Scriptures for the Rule of Faith and Duty Ergo the Scriptures are certainly the Rule of both The consequence is Infallible seeing Christ did not mistake himself The Antecedent is clear from Luke 16.28 29 30 31. Where while Christ is delivering his Doctrine for all men in the parable of the Rich Glutton he sends all men to the Scriptures for their Direction and Rule in the intire business of Repentance and Salvation and that they may not be Eternally Damned and so he shews we must stand to them upon pain of Damnation and delcares that if they listen not to the Scriptures there is no more hope of them and he 'l give them no other Rule to Guide and Direct them They have Moses and the Prophets says he that is the Scriptures written by them let them hear them and if they will not hear them one arisen from the Dead which he refuses to grant them will not get them perswaded There is a bundle of Arguments in one Text proving the Scriptures to be our Rule Fourthly the Jews at Berea are highly commended for examining by the Scripture the Doctrine of Grace Preached to them even by a Paul Act. 17.11 12. that they might know if the things which he Taught were so as the Text says for albeit Paul was an infallibly-inspired Apostle yet seeing they knew not that and he being but newly arrived unto them they had no proof of his Doctrine and there being great danger from abounding false Teachers they are therefore highly commended for putting his Doctrine to the Test and Tryal of the Fore-constitute Scriptures wherewith every Doctrine of Religion was in substance and matter to consent and agree and they otherwise not to receive it Isai 8.20 Therefore the Scriptures are the undoubted Rule of Faith and Duty The Consequence
is plain seeing they would never have been commended for examining and trying his Doctrine by the Scriptures except the Scriptures were the Rule or for making that a Rule for examining and receiving of Doctrines of Faith which is no Rule of matters of Faith Nay for this they would have been deservedly discommended Fifthly The Scriptures are able to make us Wise unto Salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 Therefore they contain the Rule of Faith and Duty The Consequence is easie seeing without the Rule of these we cannot be wise unto Salvation but plainly ignorant of the way thereunto having no Rule to direct us Sixthly the whole Scriptures were given by Inspiration of God and they were written purposely for the Churches Instruction and Learning as is before shewed Therefore they must surely be the Rule of Faith and Duty for I am sure there is nothing wanting here that is requisite to the Constituting of them for a publick Rule or else let the Quakers if they can shew us what that is for I can not perceive it without the Spectacles of their Eagle-eyed Inspirer Seventhly That Doctrine must be the Rule of Faith and Manners which in all matters of Faith and Manners we ought to observe and take heed to as a Doctrine full of shining light for our instruction and direction but that is the Scriptures Therefore the Scriptures are the Rule of Faith and Manners The Major is clear nor do the Quakers deny it The Minor is laid down in 2 Pet. 1.19 20. where Peter after his rehearsing of the glorious Revelation on the Mount at the Transfiguration which was as glorious a Revelation as any else he addeth That they had a more sure Word of Prophecy whereunto they did well to take heed as unto a light shining c. knowing this first that no Prophecy of the Scripture is of any private Interpretation here it is clear that it is the Scriptures which he calls the more sure Word of Prophecy and prefers before all transient Revelations not as if the Scriptures were more certain in themselves Quoad se than Gods immediate voice from Heaven but because they are a more sure way in regard of us Quoad nos they being a Written yea Sealed and Sworn Evidence and Contract of the whole Bargain and Terms of Salvation and Life delivered into our custody to be perused by us upon all occasions and this gives more assurance in regard of our weakness than a passing Revelation and is more ready for our constant direction than a transient Revelation which we cannot always command nor retain often in our memory till we understand nor are all men able to bear them That on the Mount made the Disciples roave and mistake exceedingly Mark 9.6 The Quakers answer in their Confession of Faith or Principles of Truth page 135 136 140. That by the more sure Word of Prophecy the Apostle means the Light within us and so they deny our Minor But contrariwise the 20 Verse there where he cautions the interpreting of the Scripture-Prophecy clearly coheres with the 19 Verse as a caution subjoyned concerning the same thing which he had there called The more sure Word of Prophecy and so by the more sure Word of Prophecy must be meant the Scriptures because of the clear coherence Secondly I must demand of the Quakers to shew if they can How the Dictat or Light within is more sure than Gods immediate Voice from Heaven such as that was at the Transfiguration I have shewed how the Scriptures are called and are so in regard of us but I cannot understand how the Light within can be or be called so Thirdly The Testimony of other Scriptures produced and to be produced will not permit this violent Gloss Again They ordinarily answer to this Scripture That in it we are only appointed to take heed to the Scriptures until the day dawn and the day-Star arise into our hearts that is as they expound till the Holy Ghost be bestowed on us but no longer But contrariwise First by this answer they retract their former Gloss upon the Text and confess the more sure Word of Prophecy here to be meant of the Scriptures and not the Light within Secondly By this answer they overturn one of their own chiefest Principles viz. That all men ought to follow the Light within for now they yield That such as have not received the Holy Ghost and these are not few are exhorted here to follow the Scriptures and not the Light within them Thirdly Hereby they insinuate That the Scriptures in their Opinion serve for nothing to Renewed Men and Believers who are born of the Spirit and Sealed therewith Joh. 3.5 Rom. 8.9 Eph. 1.13 and so the Scriptures as they will are recommended only to Men unrenewed and so that blessing pronounced upon the Readers Hearers and Keepers of the things written in the Scriptures Revel 1.3 and 22.7 is designed and belongs only to unrenewed Men seeing the reading hearing and keeping of the things written therein whereunto the blessing is annexed belongs only to them as the Quakers will What Does not Paul Peter and John direct all their Epistles and the Book of the Revelation to the Churches the Saints and them that had obtained like precious Faith with them delivering them many Rules of Faith and Manners therein See their Inscriptions I pray and these will inform you better Eightly That must be the Rule of Faith by which we are commanded to try the Spirits 1 John 4.1 seeing we cannot try the Spirits or Doctrines without the Rule for that were to try them by guess But that whereby we are commanded to try the Spirits must certainly be the Scriptures seeing the Quakers do not as yet openly profess the Popish Lesbian Rule of Believing as the Church of Rome does and it cannot be the dictat or light within that we are to try them by seeing that is as fallible as their Light whose Doctrines I try and George Keith a Ring-leading Quaker confesses the possibility of their declining from Infallibility both in Speaking and Writing and consequently in Examining or Judging too in his Quakerism no Popery page 33. and beside the Dictat within hath no Divine Institution to be the Rule and if it were the Rule then the Dictat within every diverse Man would be the Rule to try the Dictat or Dectrine proceeding from the Dictat in another which would make the Dictat of every Man both Superior and Inferior to the Dictat of another Superior when it tries and examines and Inferior when it or its Doctrine is tried and examined which is repugnant Ninthly John shews us 1 John 4.6 That the true and sound imbracing of their Doctrine now written in the Scriptures is a manifest evidence of the Spirit of Truth and the rejecting of it a manifest evidence of the Spirit of Error and so their Doctrine written in the Scriptures must be the Rule of Faith and Manners For How shall it be an evidence
because it is worthy of a Thousand Deaths for its proud Usurpation we shall reach it some few Blows more in particulari Specie First therefore the principal Rule of Faith and Manners must be Essentially right and Infallible or else we can trust nothing to it with any assurance and all were gone it would mislead and deceive us But the Dictate within every man is not Essentially Right Ergo it is not the principal Rule I prove the Minor because many men have not the Spirit as all unrenewed men Rom. 8.9 1 Joh. 4.13 Jud. 19. and so their Dictate within not proceeding from the Spirit cannot be Essentially Right or the principal Rule of Faith and Manners and this destroys the Quakers Principle that the Dictate within every man is the principal Rule Nor doth the Spirit Teach even Believers by an inward immediate objective Dictate seeing God and Nature do nothing in vain and Beings ought not to be multiplied without some necessity which here there is none that can be shewed for seeing the whole Doctrine of Salvation is abundantly made known in the Scriptures so that our understandings being subjectively Enlightened and our Eyes in any measure opened we may plainly see therein the exactness and purity of the Law the Riches of the Promises and in fine our whole Rule by the good help of other means and Ordinances appointed to further our Instruction and Knowledge in these by opening up and explaining their Doctrine and Sence and so clearing the Object quoad nos or in order to our understanding And what needs then I pray another objective Rule Neither is there any reason for the continuance of the immediate Inspiration of the Doctrine of Salvation in the Church more than all the other extraordinary Gifts which are gone long since the Intire Rule of Faith and Manners being now compleated and publickly Recorded which is as Infallible as any immediate Dictate seeing it is the Word of God that cannot Lie and it is more sure for us than any in regard of the Devils Cunning who can and often does bear in a strong Delusion with so much of seeming Evidence as makes it be received for a Divine Dictate And what needs more George Keith who pleads that the Dictate within is the principal Rule and Touchstone of all Doctrines in his Quakerism no Popery pag. 59. albeit most inconsistently as I think he grants the same Authority to the Scriptures pag. 28 thereof does yield that for all their Infallible Dictate yet its possible for them and that is much indeed both to Speak and Write and so to think too in a mixture Quakerism no Popery pag. 33 that is to say Fallibly for if he means of a Mid-way betwixt Fallibly and Infallibly which I am not yet acquainted with nor ever read it he speaks like a man in a mixture Infallible Contradiction For all the World cannot find me a midst betwixt Fallible and Infallible George Keith then it seems is not Infallibly or immediately Inspired for he can both Speak and Write in a mixture which a man immediatly Inspired cannot be Guilty of Habernus confitentem reum Secondly that cannot be the principal Rule of Faith and Manners which hath no Divine Institution to Warrant it or else it is but an Usurper But the Dictate within every I or any man hath no Divine Institution to Warrant it to be the principal Rule of these or else produce it if they can for all they have hitherto produced shall be Confuted and Answered too when I come to to their Objections Therefore the Dictate within every man or any man is not the principal Rule of Faith and Manners Thirdly a Rule to be examined by another Rule cannot be the principal Rule of Faith and Manners I am sure But the Dictate within all men is such Therefore it is not the principal Rule of Faith and Manners The Minor I prove from Isai 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony says the Text if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them where all Dictates or Doctrines of Faith and Manners are very expresly commanded to be Tryed and examined by the Scripture and if they agree not with that not to receive them seeing so there is no Light in them they are but Dictates of Darkness And again George Keith Confesses that all Doctrines and Principles of Christian Religion are to be applyed to the Scriptures as a Test and Touchstone in all external Debates and Disputations whatsoever and if they agree not therewith to be denied and disowned for ever Quakerism no Popery pag 28. and so the Scriptures are a Superiour Rule to the Dictate within if it be a Doctrine of the Christian Religion seeing it must be examined by these as a Test and Touchstone and rejected if it agree not therewith I can say no more than is dropt twixt sleeping and waking perhaps from the Pen of an Adversary Fourthly the Scriptures we have seen before are the principal Rule of Faith and Manners positively Ergo the Dictate within cannot be such a Rule The Consequence is plain seeing two Rules each of them positively principal are repugnant for so each of them should be above and below the other Fifthly if the Dictate within be the principal Rule of Faith and Manners then we must either follow its Directions absolutely and without Questioning or Trying them or else conditionally only that they be right if conditionally only then we must examine them by some other Rule to know if they be right or not and so they are not the principal Rule against the supposition nor Infallible seeing an Infallible Rule needs no Superior Rule to be examined by being it self Essentially right If then we must follow the directions of the Dictate within absolutely and without any Tryal then he whose Dictate within prompts him to think that Christ has not two distinct Natures or that he has two distinct Persons aswel as Natures or that he is not Co-eternal Co-equal and Co-substantial with the Father or First person or that his Sufferings and Death was not a Satisfaction for our Sins or that God is a Corporeal Being subject to all humane Passions or that in the Eucharist the Bread is substantially Changed into the Body of Christ or that the Pope is Infallible and so a great Quaker or else each of them a small Pope or that we are not Justified by the Righteousness of the Redeemer I say all of these and other such deluded Hereticks must absolutely follow these Principles as their principal Rule And if the Dictate within bid a man Worship the Sun and Moon and Idols of Gold and Silver worship the Devil and cut his own Throat too he is bound to obey his Rule There is nothing can be answered to these things but this viz. That these and such like evil Directions cannot proceed from the Spirit of God but allanerly from a mans own self and the Devil But
Quakers are but Men at the most and I think scarce that by the forfeiture they have made of their Reason Sixthly They object from Jam. 1.21 where the Apostle Exhorts us That laying aside all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness we would receive with meekness the Ingrafted Word which is able to save our Souls Therefore say they the Word which we are to receive is an Ingrafted Word within us Ans First The Original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be as well rendred Apt to be Ingrafted and then where is the Argument I pray Secondly The context will not allow the Quakers Gloss for it 's a Word that we are to receive and hear and which is able to save our Souls a Character not given to the Light or Dictate within any whereof Scripture but to the Scripture it is expresly given 2 Tim. 3.15 and we cannot in proper speech be said to receive or hear a Dictate within which we have already and is not audible properly Therefore they cannot gain their point here without diverting the words from a proper to an improper sence for which they must shew some necessity of the Analogy of Faith or else it cannot be granted then Thirdly The Apostle does not here Exhort us to commit our selves to the conduct of the Light and Dictate within as our Rule but he exhorts us to receive the Word of God the length of Ingrafting that is so as it may take root and so grow and become fruitful in us and that we let it not pass out at one ear as it comes in at the other being forgetful and negligent hearers and so the meaning clearly is Receive the word not forgetfully and negligently but receive it Ingrafted and rooting-wise Any Man by reading the context downward may see that James there opposes receiving of the Ingrafted Word or Word Ingrafted to the receiving of the Word forgetfully superficially and carelesly and not to the receiving of an External Word as the Quakers here expound taking the grounds of their Gloss out of their own Brain-sick heads alone being no ways grounded on the Context or agreeable to any other place of the Scripture whereas our Exposition is clearly founded on the Context and evidently arises therefrom and hath also the warrant of other Scriptures Nothing here then for the Quakers Seventhly They object wonderfully but it 's a lying wonder like the rest from Heb. 6.1.2 where the Apostle Exhorts these Hebrews That leaving the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ they would go on towards perfection not laying again the foundation of Repentance from dead works and of Faith towards God of the Doctrine of Baptisms and laying on of hands of the Resurrection of the Dead and of Eternal Judgment See the Quakers Confession page 63 68 77 80. where they urge this Text against the Law so they call the whole Scriptures and against the Priests so they call the Ministers of the Gospel as all know and against Baptism with Water and the Lords Supper Answ But so abusing and wresting the Text for banishing of External Ordinances out of the Church they with the same breath infer That there ought or needs not be any of the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ in the Church for the Apostle Exhorts to leave these also and that in the first branch of the Exhortation And did Paul in earnest Exhort them to reject these Did he Exhort them to reject the Foundation of Repentance and of Faith towards God which here he calls these Principles The Building will surely go to Ruine then when the Foundation is gone Is not that a brave Doctrine come from an immediate Dictate Any Man though half blind may see that the Apostle means that they should not stick always at the learning of the first common Catechetical or Rudimental Principles of Religion which he taxes them for ignorance of in the close of the former Chapter but that having laid the Foundation of these not thrown them away as the Quakers here expound they should aspire and indeavour after a further Proficience and Growth in the Knowledge of Christ and Gospel Mysteries Eightly The Quakers object in this Query That in the Primitive World Enoch Noah Abraham Isaac and Jacob c. had not any written Word to be the Rule of Faith and Manners and therefore they mean to infer and George Keith explains it fully in his Quakerism no Popery page 109. 111. neither now is the written Word our Rule Answ A brave consequence forsooth as if I should say Christ was not come in the Flesh in the Primitive World Ergo neither as yet is he come Or in the Primitive World there were no Scriptures written Ergo neither afterwards I was not born in the Primitive World am not I born as yet then I can hardly believe so for Non-entities cannot act and write as I am doing just now The External manner of Dispensation used with those of the Primitive World can do nothing to the Quakers now who live not in the Primitive World except perhaps by conceipt and fancy but in the last times after the word of God is committed to writing and we commanded to observe that as our Rule George Keith a Man more cunning than his Neighbours albeit he acknowledges the Scriptures for a compleat External Rule yet he contends with all his might That the Dictate within is the Principal Rule and the Scriptures but a Secondary Rule he will allow the second Room or the Footstool to the Scriptures but the Throne in the Palace and chief Seat in the Quakers Synagoue must be reserved for their great Diana the Dictate within Therefore though this great Dagon hath broke his neck already before the Ark yet to defend his Honour lying in the Dust He objects Ninthly Quakerism no Popery page 9. 13. That the Testimony of the Spirit within is greater than the External Testimony of the Scripture and therefore the Dictate within must be the Principal Rule not the Scriptures But first I Answ That George Keith drives the Plough before the Oxen for he must first prove or else nothing to his point that every Man is furnisht with an immediate Dictate of the Spirit within him which we deny any Man to have and he shall never prove to reveal to him Infallibly the Doctrine of Salvation and then and not till then it may be to the purpose to prove it 's Mens principal Rule by its Greatness for be it great or small it can be no Rule to them who have it not more than the Sun can enlighten me when he Shines not in my Hemisphere and so the Argument is a meer impertinence For An sit is before Quid sit Let him prove then and he shall be great Apollo that every man hath such an immediate Dictate within him and then he comes time enough to prove that it and not the Scriptures is his greater and more principal Rule Secondly let the Testimony of the Light within be
was some necessity for his arising to be Baptized with Water that he might go where there was Water Seeing then the Circumstances of these Texts will not permit these improperly so called Baptisms to be meant therein and its certain that some sort of Baptism is meant therein or else the word Baptize must be razed out of them It inevitably follows that Baptism with Water must be therein meant or else no Baptism at all which Impudence it self dare not say and so much the less seeing the Circumstances of these Texts do very well agree with the Circumstances of Baptism in other Texts where the word Water is expresly added And in these Texts we see what care the Apostles took for the speedy Administration of the Baptism therein mentioned to the Disciples appearing such and to all appearing such And these things evidently prove our Antecedent of this second Argument Thirdly our third principal Argument for proving Baptism with Water to be an Ordinance of Divine Institution under the New Testament is taken from Act. 2.38 which Text I have now proved to be meant of Baptism with Water where Peter Injoyns Baptism with Water to all these New Testament Disciples as a necessary Sacred Symbol or Pledge for Sacred it must be in regard of its Sacred and Spiritual signification of a Spiritual Benefit of the Remission of Sins For his Injoyning them to be Baptized for the Remission of Sins doth plainly hold forth some necessity thereof though not by necessity of Mean yet by necessity of Precept Therefore Baptism with Water must be an Ordinance of the New Testament Divinely Instituted For certainly Cancelled Jewish Ceremonies much less Humane inventions or any thing not appointed of God could never thereafter be necessary for Justification or Remission of Sins though sometimes they might be necessary for avoiding the Offence and stumbling of weak brethren as Act. 15.29 and 16.3 Fourthly whoever under the New Testament hath probably received the Spirit of Grace hath a right in the Churches Court unto Baptism with Water and she is bound to admit them thereunto Therefore Baptism with Water is surely an Ordinance of the New Testament Divinely Instituted or otherwise these could never have any Right thereunto in her Court nor she be bound to admit them into it without a Divine appointment making it due unto them but on the contrary they should be bound to abstain from it and she to Discharge them therefrom as unwarrantable Will-worship in the Scriptures Condemned Colos 2.20 21 22. These things clearly prove the Consequence The Antecedent is proved by Peter Act. 10.47 where he says Can any man forbid water that these should not be Baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we where by the Holy Ghost as often else where Act. 1.5 and 8.16 17. and 19.6 is meaned the Miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost as is clear from the Context So then Peter Argues here from these Gifts of the Spirit bestowed on them as a probable Evidence though not an Infallible one See Mat. 7.22 of the Spirit of Grace bestowed on them That therefore they had a Right unto Baptism with Water and no man could Debar them from it for that were absurd as the Expression bears Can any man forbid c. So then according to the Apostle a probable Evidence of the Spirit of Grace received doth immediately infer a Right in the Churches Court to which his Discourse is here directed unto Baptism Water and so whoever hath probably received the Spirit of Grace hath that Right and the Church is bound to admit them to it and they are as absurd as Quakers that would Debar them from it These things plainly prove the Antecedent Fifthly there is one Baptism mentioned Ephes 4.5 which is certainly an Ordinance of Divine Institution and belongs to the New Testament as can never be gotten denyed But that must be Baptism with Water and can be no other for when Paul says There is one Baptism either he means of one properly so called which is Baptism with Water seeing the signification of the Word Baptize Primarily and properly agrees unto it or else he means there is one Baptism Improperly and Metaphorically so called but that cannot be seeing there is not one but many of these sorts of Baptisms as we have already seen whereof therefore to mean it would be a contradiction to the Text. Sixthly Baptism with Water is necessary to Salvation under the New Testament viz. by necessity of Precept and so as not the simple privation of it when it cannot be had but the Contempt of it when it may be had is Damnable Therefore Baptism with Water must be an Ordinance of Divine Institution under the New Testament The Consequence is manifest seeing a material piece of Divine Worship necessary to Salvation not appointed of God is a Will-worship necessary thereunto which is repugnant to the Scriptures I prove the Antecedent The Baptism mentioned Mark 16.16 is there made a necessary Antecedent of Salvation under the New Testament by the plain Sentence of the Text But the Baptism there mentioned is Baptism with Water Therefore Baptism with Water is necessary to Salvation under the New Testament The Major needs no more proving I prove the Minor because the Baptism mentioned in that Text of Mark doth in adult persons we shall speak afterwards of Infants pre-require Faith in Christ as the Text shews without which some way appearing by external Signs they have not a visible Interest and cannot be accompted Disciples by the Church but the Baptism of Doctrine does not pre-require that or else no man might be admitted to partake of the gospel-Gospel-Doctrine but such as before-hand probably believe and so it should never have been Preached to the Gentile-world Nor does the work of Conversion pre-require Faith in Christ to a mans partaking of it self otherwise it should pre-require it self without which there can be no such Faith before partaking of it self that is it self without it self which is repugnant Nor yet can it be meant of enduing with the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit seeing these were never necessary to Salvation as this Baptism mentioned in the Text is And I am sure the Quakers will not say that Baptism here is meant of the Baptism of the Cross under which they do not use to seek shelter or in any other Text that we have named seeing the Apostles and other Ministers of Christ are the immediate Administrators of the Baptism mentioned here and in all of these but were not so of the Cross they had no Commission for that Seeing then there is a Baptism meant herein Mark 16.16 And it cannot agree with any of these Improperly so called Baptisms but only with Baptism with Water which is properly so called it must Inevitably be meant of Baptism with Water wherewith it agrees or let the Quakers prove that it disagrees with that too and then I am sure it shall agree with none at all and
albeit there are diversities of gifts amongst Believers yet they have all the same Spirit 1 Cor. 12.4 13. But behold here a rare fansie The Quakers require either at least the same measure or else a larger measure of the Spirit than the Apostles had for turning the Psalms into Meeter What will no less measure of the Spirit than the Apostles had serve to understand Poetry and the Notes of Musick Must we be immediatly Inspired for these two O brave Morology The Quakers it seems will not allow a Boy to sing a Song nor a Minstreller to play his Tune both which requires something of Musick without immediate Inspiration forsooth Spectatum admissi risum teneatis amici The Quakers it seems do not like to be Precenters lest perhaps they get little Salary Lastly They ask what the Psalms were that were sung in the Primitive times Ans They were certainly the same that we now sing seeing these only are written in the Scriptures though the Quakers may have other Psalms in their wild Scripture-Book within and appointed by God to be sung as beside that we are Ordained to sing Psalms and there is no other to choose upon is clear from 2 Chron. 29.30 where the Church of Israel sang praises to God with the words of David and Asaph says the Text by the command of the good King and great Reformer These that would see any further concerning some scruples about Psalms-singing let them read worthy Mr. Durhams Exposition of the Song of Solomon from page 48. to page 53. where they may find some doubts resolved which I purposely here omit because there they may be found though little or nothing here medled with be there touched Ninth QUERY Whether or not your Directory Confession of Faith and Cathechisms be an Infallible Rule for you and your People to walk by or whether or not equal with the Scriptures or above the Scriptures and whether of them is the better Book and whether or not have ye an Infallible Spirit to give forth such a Directory or Catechism or Confession of Faith as ye have done and whether or not the Scriptures are not a better Directory than any ye can make which were given forth by the Holy Ghost by the holy Men of God who had the Infallible Spirit SVRVEY This Inspirer of the Quakers is surely no Spirit of Truth but a manifest Deviser of Lies seeing almost in every Sentence that drops from his mouth he impudently slanders the Church of God in Britain for who ever heard that any Protestant Church did hold any thing of Ecclesiastical Constitution formally as such for an Infallible Rule But on the contrary it hath always been the Doctrine of all Protestant Churches and as much of the Church of Britain as any other as may be seen in the fourth Article of the 31. Chapter of her Confession of Faith that all Synods and Councels since the Apostles days are liable to Error and that therefore their Constitutions formally as such are not to be made the Rule of Divine Faith and Religious Practice and yet there is much more hope of an unerring Spirit in a whole Synod of Orthodox Church-Guides than in any Brainsick Quaker falsly pretending thereunto The Quakers do not here quarrel with our Directory Confession or Catechism as to their subject sentence and the particular definitions which they contain or else they should have instanced the particulars which they judge to be wrong and not agreeable to the Stripture that we might have known what to vindicate which until they do I cannot gratifie them with particular defences Their quarrel therefore here is at the very common form of a Directory Confession or Catechism in a Church and that Church-Guides should presume to Constitute these and so all Churches are concerned in this affair seeing all of them have their Confessions Catechisms and Directories and yet no doubt this quarrel is chiefly intended against the Directory Confession and Catechism of the Church of God in Britain Therefore that we may in the general vindicate these we shall begin with the Directory Therefore first a Church-Directory may be taken in a large and improper sence as comprehending rules concerning parts of the publick Worship of God it self and the religious manner thereof as their immediate object directly regarded and if these Rules teach and direct no other Worship nor any other religious manner of the Worship but the very same which the Scripture directs and teaches then they can never be found fault with seeing even every particular Minister hath authority and is obliged by his Office to teach and enjoyn his Flock the Worship of God and the religious manner thereof from the Scripture yea that is his chief work and I must still think that a Synod of Ministers conveened in Christs name have no less authority nor can be any less obliged Such Rules there are in our Directory as the Rules appointing the Sabbath-day to be kept holy Psalms to be sung Ministers to do their work faithfully diligently c. all which are very Scripture-Rules particularly taught therein and their immediate objects are constituent parts or religious manners of the Worship But Secondly a Church-Directory may be taken in a more strict and proper sence as restricted to and meerly comprehending Rules or Directions concerning the External Circumstances of the Publick Worship and Government of Gods House And for vindicating our Directory in the general as was explained taken in this proper notion We must observe first that as it is utterly impossible to exerce any action except under the vesture of several circumstances So likewise the publick Worship of God cannot be performed except under the vesture of various Circumstances as needs no demonstration Secondly I must observe that as the vesture of unbeseeming undecent and disorderly circumstances in the exercise of Gods Publick Worship doth very much deform and disgrace the work as all may know and so cannot but very much hinder Edification and beget Scandals So the Vesture of comely decent and orderly circumstances therein doth greatly beautifie and adorn the work by the Rule of Contraries and so doth promote and advance Edification and Growth which by the contrary are exceedingly letted and hindered Thirdly I must observe that these External Circumstances of Gods Publick Worship are not in the Scripture particularly defined and determined seeing it is no where of Scripture particularly defined what time of the day or night the publick Worship shall begin how long it shall last what order shall be observed in reading preaching praying singing hearing c. But only they are therein determined in the general as to their common form of order and decency that decency and order must be observed therein seeing all things must be so done in the Church 1 Cor. 14.40 which command is manifesty transgressed by the undecency and disorder of one small Circumstance and so it plainly injoyns to maintain order and decency in all the Circumstances
Ninth Query and it is evident that these are not another Gospel but are Institutions of the same Gospel preached by the Apostles But secondly taking our Directory in a more strict and proper notion of a Church-Directory as that is restricted to and meerly contains Directions concerning the External Circumstances of the Publick Worship and Government of Gods House I must for Answer to their present Query concerning it first suppose the particular Directions thereof to be materially right and conform to the Scripture general Precepts above mentioned which here once for all I warn seeing I will not here stand to vindicate every particular Direction thereof in particular If the Quakers had quarrelled any particular Direction thereof I behooved to have vindicated it particularly but seeing they have held themselves in the general so must I. These things supposed and taking our Directory in the foresaid strict notion I answer that our Directory thus taken is not simply Gospel or Scripture-Rule but partly Ecclesiastical Constitution it is Gospel or Scripture-Rule in respect of its fundamental ground and chief consideration which consists in the Institution and Rule for maintaing Order and Decency and promoting Edification seeing that is Scripture-Rule it is Ecclesiastical constitution in respect of the particular definition and accommodation of these Circumstances which is an Act elicited by the habit of Christian Prudence conform to the general Rules and Institutions of the Scripture forementioned Hence it appears that though the directions of our Directory thus taken be not simply Gospel-Rules yet neither are they another Gospel seeing in respect of their fundamental ground and chief consideration they are Institutions of the same Gospel preached by the Apostles as is shewed and in so far as they are Ecclesiastical Constitutions they are warranted by the Gospel preached by the Apostles as in regard of particulars I suppose until the Quakers particularly quarrel and in the general I have proved it above at the Survey of their Ninth Query But another Gospel hath no warrant in the Gospel preached by the Apostles but is contrary thereunto and condemned therein Again another Gospel is some Doctrine beside or contrary to the Gospel preached by the Apostles urged as necessary to Salvation and an absolute bond of Conscience and Rule of Divine Faith and so a Doctrine in its matter only beside being thus urged becomes contrary But our Church-Directory beside its agreement with the Scripture general Rules was never so urged as the Practice of our Church sufficiently attests As for our Confession of Faith and Catechism I affirm that albeit as to the formal Constitution which they have from Ecclesiastical Authority they be not Infallible or Canonical otherwise all Ecclesiastical Constitutions would be such yet considering them Materially as to the whole Articles confessed in the one and the whole Definitions delivered in the other and for the questionary part it is no matter seeing that affirms nothing nor denies they are universally and throughout very Scripture-Sentence very Gospel-Rule and Law together either expresly and formally or materially implicitly and by good consequence taught therein Let the Quakers condescend upon any Article or Proposition believed or taught in the one or the other that is not either expresly or implicitly and by good consequence contained in the Scriptures which until they do I must superseed particular Apologizing for them Only I have already sufficiently defended them in the general according as they have impugned them and so many of their particular Enunciations as the Quakers elsewhere in these Queries have particularly impeached I have also particularly maintained and vindicated in my Surveys The Quakers then may see that I affirm the whole Enunciations of our Confession and Catechism materially taken to be very Gospel and Law Rules together and so they are not another Gospel seeing another Gospel does not teach and confess the same Truths which the Gospel preached by the Apostles does And I have told them before that as to their formal Constitution by Ecclesiastical Authority they have not the same Authority which the Gospel preached by the Apostles had we do not equalize them therewith Let the Quakers see to their own Confession of Faith and a black Faith I am sure wherein there is scarce a Sentence that is not contrary to the Gospel preached by the Apostles a good part of which we have already seen and shall see more hereafter As for the Sentence of Scripture here Cited from the Epistle to the Romans a man would wonder to what purpose it is here Quoted But here is the business the Quakers feign to themselves a sort of a Dumb-Gospel without any words or Orations and this they seem to alledge to have a real and strict Identity with the power of God which is as senseless a Dream as can well be faln upon which the very Context of the place Cited overthrows while it calls the Gospel the power of God to Believers only intimating that it is not such unto unbelievers on whose hearts it does not so powerfully work whereas the power of God properly taken is still the same in respect of all the world The Gospel is called the Word of Truth and the word preached Ephes 1.13 Colos 1.5 Heb. 4.2 Which cannot be said of the power of God The Gospel was committed to Pauls trust 1 Thes 2.4 1 Tim. 1.11 But the power of God was never committed to the trust of any meer Creature The Apostle therefore calls the Gospel the power of God by a Figure called Synecdoche attributing the name of the Principal Cause to the Instrument because it is an effectual Instrument of the power of God So the Preaching of the Cross is called the power of God to them that are Saved 1 Cor. 1.18 not by way of Identity but thus Synecdochically as is declared So also the Samaritans reputed Simon Magus the great power of God Act. 8.10 not by way of Identity for I think they were not Quakers but they called him so Synecdochically because in their conceit he was a great Instrument thereof Twelfth QUERY What is Original Sin Whether it be not the Devil yea or nay for doth not the Original signifie the beginning and what did Christ come to destroy was it not the Devil and his works SVRVEY This Inspirer of the Quakers it seems must be a great Jester but I think him a great Fool too to suggest in his sport such Romances and Fictions unto simple Men void of understanding who to his infamy and disgrace thus report them in Earnest The Devil is indeed a very sinful Creature but that he should be very Sin it self is a horrible Fiction For first then Original Sin must be a Person seeing the Devil is a Person Secondly God made the Devil but God made not Original Sin seeing he cannot be the Author of sin therefore Original Sin is not the Devil The Minor is proved already I prove the Major God made all Creatures otherwise they could
therein as a work but under another Notion and Formality See I pray how he opposes them Rom. 3.27 28. and 4.2 3 4 5. and 9.32 and 10.5 6. Galat. 3.11 12. Yea the very Attributes of the Deity admit of a Formal Precision upon their divers Considerations and Connotations and I am sure the Attributes of God have as strict an Identity as the Predicates of any Essence beside can have And when he Quarrels such distinctions as not plain for Instruction I must answer him that then Confusion is certainly plain Doctrine as he thinks but qui bené distinguit bené docet But why is George himself so nice Quakerism no Popery page 52. to distinguish Faith as Receptive from it self as Inward Righteousness Unto this I will say with reason as he has said page 8. of his book without reason to a man of very great worth Turpe est Doctori immediate inspirato cum culpa redarguit ipsum The next thing that comes in this Query all the petty Questions whereof I will resolve in this Section is a Consequence which they draw from the Mill to the Moon Christ say they set up his worship above Sixteen Hundred years since in Spirit and in truth so must not every man come to the Truth and to the Spirit in their own hearts if they come to the Worship he set up Ans I shall not stand long in Taxing the Antecedent whereby they seem to insinuate that there was no Spiritual Worship and consequently Worshippers under the Old-Testament which is most evidently false for then these had no Faith in God nor love to or fear of him but were all Black Atheists and must all be Damned Christs meaning therefore in that place viz. Joh. 4.23 is not that there was no Spiritual Worship in the Church before that time but that the vail of Ceremonies wherewith the Spiritual Worship was as it were covered and hidden under the Old-Testament should be removed and taken away under the New and the Worship rendred more simple and more clear and the Spirituality thereof more appear and be expressed externally as it is plainly declared in the event 2 Cor. 3.13 with 18. as also the Context of the place shews that it is of the removing of that vail of Ceremonies whereof he speaks under which the Worship was tied unto Typical places But how shall it be inferred from that that the Worship under the New-Testament shall not be vailed with Ceremonies Types and shadows as before it was but shall be more simple manifest and clear that therefore every man under the New-Testament must come to the Truth and to the Spirit in his own heart here is a Consequence led by the Quakers in a weighty matter of Faith so quite blind and wild that the Chimeraes of Utopia may sooner break the Bars of Impossibility and the Bolts of their necessary Imprisonment then it shall ever be established with one grain weight or Scruple of either Scripture or Reason But of the Light within which here they aim at we have said enough already But say the Quakers near the close of this Query are not your Catechisms Confessions of Faith and Directories your own works and your own Worship that ye have set down they should have said set up for people to fall down and do Worship to and be saved by Ans Whose works soever these are I have at the Survey of their Ninth Tenth and Eleventh Queries sufficiently in the general vindicated them against all the Quakers Cavillations Secondly I have also vindicated our Church from the Doctrine of Salvation by works and I will not repeat Thirdly does the explaining and opening up or clearing of the Principles of Religion and our Christian Faith by Catechism Confession Vive-voice or otherways by the very deed done make men Guilty of holding a Salvation by works O brave the Apostles that were diligent in these things are much Guiltier then then we are As for the Worshipping of these and the Will-worship which here they are pleased to charge us with we shall meet with these in the next Query SECT II. Confuting the Quakers Popish Justification Upon this Debate I will not stand long it hath been so much tossed already betwixt our Writers and the Papists only I shall bring two or three forcible Arguments against our being justified before God by any Righteousness wrought or inherent within us my Assertion being That we are justified before God by the Righteousness of Christ without us Imputed by God unto us upon our apprehending and Imbracing of Christ and his Righteousness offered to us by Faith and not by any Righteousness wrought or inherent in us Before we prove that we are not justified by any Righteousness wrought or inherent in us but by Christs without us Imputed to us we shall premise this ground viz. that in the Scripture our own Law-righteousness and the Righteousness of our works are still taken for one and the same thing and stated in opposition to Christs Righteousness received by Faith in this point of Justification as I have often shewed before from these following Scriptures viz. Rom. 3. chap. from ver 20. to the end and 4.2 3 4 5.6 and 9.30 31 32. and 10.3 5 6. Galat. 2.16 21. and 3.11 12. and 5.4 Philip. 3.9 nor can the Righteousness of our works and our Law-righteousness be diverse upon any account that is possible to be shewn by any man and I pray consider the Scriptures that I have Cited which I may not stand to form into Arguments and which are so clear that they need not these things premised I Argue First we are justified before God by the Righteousness of Faith which is the righteousness of Christs obedience and sufferings without us for he did not obey and die within us as we have before proved Ergo we are not justified before him by a righteousness wrought or inherent within us seeing that which Christ wrought and suffered in his own Person before we were born without us was not then nor is it now over again by way of reproduction which if they say is still Popish enough wrought within us Secondly We are justified before God freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Rom. 3 24. Eph. 1 7. Col. 1 14. Ergo we are justified by the satisfaction of Christ without us not by any righteousness wrought or inherent within us The antecedent is the Apostles I prove the consequence because first a man cannot be freely justified or pronounced righteous by a judge because he is personally in himself Inherently righteous for he is bound in all justice to pronounce a man righteous that is such and it is not done freely or gratis and if he do otherwise he does most unjustly Secondly I prove the consequence because this redemption whereby we are justified is in Jesus in whom the righteousness wrought or inherent in us is not except the Quakers Blasphemously will have every justified man to
Infer that all that are to be Baptized ought first to be Taught whereof Children are not capable and therefore ought not to be Baptized But beside that the Jews Children were admitted to the Initiating Seal who were as uncapable of Teaching as ours The truth is the word in the Original Language is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doth not signifie to Teach but to Make Disciples which all know that know the Language and it is plainly distinguisht in the Text from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which follows in the beginning of the very next Verse and in the Native Etymology signifies to Teach and so this Text is so far from favoring their Error that it clearly overthrows it as we have now shewed But the Anabaptists still object that Christ after he had Commanded his Apostles and Ministers to go and Preach the Gospel to all the world adds that he that believes and is Baptized shall be Saved Mark 16.16 Therefore Christ pre-requires Faith unto Baptism but Children cannot believe therefore they ought not to be Baptized Some answer to the Minor of this Argument that though Children cannot actually believe yet they are capable of the Seeds and Principles of Faith or of a Seminal and Inclinative Faith which I grant is true but seeing the Argument urges actual Faith which they have not adverted to it belongs not to the answer thereof I answer therefore and grant that actual believing is pre-required unto Baptism in adult persons come to some years of discretion according to these Scriptures Mark 16.16 Act. 2.38 and 8.12 13. and 18.8 and therefore they must give a serious Profession thereof or some probable Evidence thereof must be had before the Church admit them to Baptism seeing as is supposed they are either before Strangers unto the Covenant or else if that be not yet if they refuse the Gospel-offer they fore-fault their Interest and so without the Profession of their Faith or some probable evidence thereof they have not a visible Interest But these things are not pre-required of the Children of believing Parents who have an Interest not forefaulted by any refusal upon the accompt of their descent from Christian Parents Professing the Faith whose Children are with themselves taken in within the Covenant as is before shewed and it stands in the room of a Profession to them that they are by God taken in within the Covenant and born within the Church of Christian Parents professing the Faith All which is still further clear in the Circumcision of the Jews Children nor can any thing be said against the one which does not with equal force assault the other Again they object that Baptism is a perfect Ordinance and that therefore it ought to be Dispensed to none but Folk that are perfect such as Children are not Ans If this Consequence of the Anabaptists be but good we must send all Gods Ordinances away to Heaven seeing there are no perfect Folk upon Earth as shall be made appear afterwards and by the same Argument none but perfect Folk should be admitted to any Ordinance of God and then I 'le warrant the Churches shall be Scant enough But how can Baptism which Seals to us the Remission of our Sins require us to be before-hand perfect and so have no Sin to be Remitted But they urge that Baptism being a perfect Ordinance does at least require such as are capable of perfection which Children are not Ans Our perfection is not absolved in the very Instant of our Baptism but is carried on by degrees while we live in this world and not absolved till we go hence to the other world Therefore Baptism does not require that we be capable to be perfected that very Instant of its Administration to us for it will be enough if we by degrees become capable of perfection according as by degrees our perfection is to be carried on This distinguishes the Major which I positively have denyed and they could never have proved with all John of Leidens Logick Again Perfection is opposed either to a Negative Imperfection which is the want of any thing which if we had it we would be the more perfect but it is not competent to us nor is it our fault to want it and this sort of Imperfection all Creatures must be content to be for ever liable unto and they shall never be perfect in the Sence of Perfection opposite to this kind of Imperfection and so Perfection in this Sence cannot be pre-required to Baptism seeing it will not be required to Heaven it self Or Secondly Perfection is opposed to a Privative and Culpable Imperfection which is the want of a thing that by the Law we are obliged to have and it is our fault to want it and of Perfection opposite to this kind of Imperfection Infants are capable as well as adult persons seeing if Adam had stood in his Obedience there had been no Privative or Culpable Imperfection in any of his Children how young soever more than in himself which if Infants were not capable of the Perfection we now speak of as well as adult persons could not have been Any that would see Infant-Baptism more largely and accurately handled I refer them to that fore-named Excellent piece of Learned and Worthy Mr. Baxter against Tombs which through Gods Blessing has been a great means of putting a stop to that wild Error amongst us Sixth QUERY Whether doth the Scriptures say in the New Testament that Eating of Bread and Drinking of Wine after Supper was an Ordinance of Christ and whether do ye Practice this as Christ and his Apostles did after Supper Do not ye take it before Dinner Did Christ and his Apostles do so What Scripture have ye for your Rule for this for he took it in the night And Christ says as oft as ye Eat of this Bread and Drink of this Wine c. Is that a standing Command or is it left to people Seeing its said as oft as ye Eat this and Drink this do it in Remembrance of his Death and shewing his Death till he come again Was this coming to the end of the world or was it until his coming to Dwell in his Apostles who said he would come and Dwell and walk in them need they then Bread and Wine to put them in Remembrance of him and doth not Christ say Eat this and Drink this in Remembrance of his Death and doth not the Apostle say that they must Die with Christ and to Die with him is to come to the Death with him And they that be in the Death of Christ and Die with Christ must they have Bread and Wine to put them in Remembrance of his Death Yea or Nay and doth not the Apostle say that they must Die with Christ and be Buried with him and when the people are Dead and Buried with Christ must they have Bread and Wine to put them in Remembrance of Christs Death Answer this Yea or Nay And the Apostle says they
I prove the Consequence because Singing of Psalms was no Jewish Ceremony and if the Adversaries will say so let them prove their Affirmative as they are obliged and until then I shall confirm the Negative viz. that Singing of Psalms is no Jewish Ceremony because first I cannot think that Christ joyned a Jewish Ceremony after the Gospel-Supper when he Sung a Hymn or Psalm as it is on the Margine of some of our Bibles Mat. 26.30 Mark 14.26 Nor that Paul and Silas used any Jewish Ceremony especially there not being any fear of Offence and stumbling of weak Brethren there when in Prison they Sung Praises unto God Act. 16.25 Again the Apostle does very plainly Exhort the Christians of the New Testament Ephes 5.19 and Colos 3.16 to speak unto themselves in Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Singing and making Melody in their hearts unto the Lord and Teaching and Admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs Singing with Grace in their hearts unto the Lord In which Texts he shews that that piece of Worship is edifying both to our selves and also to others that joyn with us while he says speaking to our selves in Psalms and Admonishing one another in Psalms And Secondly that it is a comfortable and Heart-chearing Duty while he says making Melody in your hearts And Thirdly that it glorifies God while he says doing it unto the Lord Therefore Singing of Psalms can be no Jewish Ceremony having these Examples and Precepts for it to the Church of the New Testament Secondly In the first Epistle to the Corinthians Chap. 14.15.26 The Apostle in the one place of the Chapter and Verses Cited sharply reproves the Corinthians for their Disorder and Confusion in Singing in the publick Assemblies because every one of them had a Psalm by themselves and did not all joyn together and in the other place he directeth them how to Sing Psalms aright viz. with the Spirit and with the understanding also that is not only with the Breath or voice which there he calls the Spirit and the signification from the Original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most properly signifies the Breath or Wind but also in a known Tongue which the whole Context there declares he means when he says with the Understanding and so the Apostle does here Reform the abuse that was crept in into their publick Singing of Psalms and directs them how to do it aright But a Superstitious Will-worship such as Singing of Psalms must be if it be not of Divine Institution can never be performed aright it involves a plain Contradiction to say so What did Paul direct men how to Worship God aright by a Superstitious Will-worship Nay surely not Singing of Psalms then must undeniably be an Ordinance of Divine Institution under the Gospel Thirdly the Apostle James says Jam. 5.13 Is any man afflicted let him pray is any man merry let him Sing Psalms Therefore Singing of Psalms hath a Divine Warrant under the New Testament The Quakers answer that he bids us Sing Psalms only when we are merry But it seems then that the Quakers are never never Merry but are a number of Sullen Dull and Melancholick Hypocondriack Drones who cannot at all Sing Psalms Secondly there is no such exclusion in the Text as is pretended otherwise the Apostle bids us pray only when we are afflicted also seeing both these are pronounced with one Breath and the manner of the Expression and extent of the Terms are the same in both and the Quakers can shew no ground for exclusion in the one more than the other notwithstanding they may see how frequently and continually we are commanded to pray Ephes 6.18 Phil. 4.6 1 Thes 5.17 They may also see Christ and his Disciples Singing when by all Circumstances it appears they were Sorrowful seeing they were so both presently before and after as appears from Mat. 26.22 Mark 14.26 compared with Mat. 26.30.38 Mark 14.19.34 Joh. 13.21 The Apostle therefore by Merriness and Affliction points at the frame and case unto which these Duties are most especially suited no ways excluding the excercise of them in other frames and cases But let us give them for once not granting that the Apostle does there appoint us to Sing Psalms only when we are Merry yet Singing of Psalms shall by this Text even in the Adversaries own Sence be of Divine Institution under the New Testament or else in their Principles we may in our Merry and Joyful frames offer a Superstitious Will-worship unto God which I have not yet learnt to believe The Quakers applying this Text of James in the 130 page of their Confession of Faith answer us that there is none Merry but the Ransomed of the Lord and therefore they mean to infer for that is their Scope in the place that none should Sing Psalms but these But First then certainly the Quakers are Convict that they themselves are none of the Ransomed of the Lord seeing they here allow the Ransomed of the Lord to Sing Psalms which yet they cannot be persuaded to do Secondly all the Members of the visible Church professing Faith in Christ and subjecting to his Ordinances are by visible Profession and in some degree of the judgment of Charity the Ransomed of the Lord Therefore the Quakers by their own principles ought to allow them to Sing Psalms Thirdly others also beside the Ransomed of the Lord are bound to Worship God except some special piece of Worship by some special Conditions which it requires doth exclude them as the Lords Supper excludes all that do not or cannot Examine themselves discern the Lords Body and shew forth his Death albeit the Church in admitting persons must walk by probabilities and can reach no further and both it and Baptism excludes all that want a visible Interest into the Covenant But Singing of Psalms is a piece of Gods appointed Worship as is shewed and there is no special condition Recorded in all the Scripture that debars any man from Singing and joyning therein or else let the Quakers shew it if they can If they shall say as we see they do say that the Unransomed by this Text are excluded from Singing Psalms they shall speak falsly for beside our former reasons given already to this exception the Text exhorts any man Whatsoever he be unto that duty but especially when he is in a joyful frame And giving without granting the Ransomed only to be meant yet Psalms-singing will still be of Divine Institution if these be allowed and in the judgment of Charity these will be all the professing Members of the Church subjecting to Divine Ordinances And whereas they here alledge that the Ransomed only are Merry or joyful that is also false for others beside these are sometimes joyful Mat. 13.20 Luk. 8.13 and so the exception is to no purpose But the Quakers insinuate here an Argument against Psalms-singing viz. that its very unsuitable to make Songs of Davids sad Cases of Mourning Weeping Lamenting
Sloath It may be they do for they will not so much as pray to God Except when they Incline to it by a free motion and Instigation within The Quakers in the Close of their query require us to distinguish betwixt Temporal Babylon and Egypt and Spiritual Babylon and Egypt Ans I have hitherto abundantly vindicated our Church from the Aspersion of being a Spiritual Babylon wherewith the Quakers do ordinarily and wickedly traduce her and it is the scope of this Epilogue of their Queries they must end as they began slandering and accusing the Brethren and it may be also seen in their Confession of Faith pag. 122 124. Upon the other hand I have charged home the Quakers with their Errors Blasphemies Contradictions and shall do in a Post-script with their Papism and with Irresistible Evidence have made good every Article of my charge against them Only in the general to this part of the Query I Answer that Temporal Babylon and Egypt are understood properly of the places so called by the Inhabitants and were a tipe of the Spiritual but Spiritual Babylon and Egypt are mystically and improperly understood and are the Anti-tipe of the other And hitherto the Quakers possibly will consent But we will surely discord in the Application for the Quakers make that great Babylon Spiritually and mystically so called so much spoken of in the Book of Revelation to be only inward in the hearts of people See their Confession pag. 114 115 121 122 138 140. Where they alleadge that great Spiritual Babylon to be within in the hearts of people and affirm the great Whore and mystery Babylon to be our wisdom and the Beast be our will whereupon our wisdom sits I Confess the Pope is deeply obliged to the Quakers and belike some of them are asmuch obliged to him he is not so unreasonable as to make them work for nothing The whole Protestant Church hath hitherto proclaimed the Pope to be the great Antichrist and Beast and the Church of Rome to be that mystery Babylon great Whore and Mother of Harlots The Quakers are so tender of his and her credit as to Contribute their best endeavors by a new Invention because all other devices have long since failed for Enervating our Churches libel and for wiping the reproach from off them both But go to is mystery-Babylon our wisdom and the Beast and Antichrist our will Let the Quakers then Answer these few following Arguments First albeit all Hereticks are Commonly called Antichrists 1 Joh. 2 18. yet the great Antichrist singularly and Eminently so called was not revealed in the time of the Apostles but to be afterwards revealed 2 Thes 2 3 5 6 7 8. But it cannot be said that the Corrupt wills of men were not then revealed Secondly it cannot be understood how the Kings who give their power for a season to the Beast Revel 17 12 13 and afterwards destroy the Whore ver 16. there shall destroy the carnal wisdom of all men so that it shall be found no more at all as it is said of that great Whore Babylon after these Kings have destroyed her Revel 18 21. Thirdly seeing they will have our wisdom to be Babylon the great Whore what then are these Seven mountains whereupon that Whore sits and what are these Seven Kings Five whereof were fallen before the Book of Revelation was written one then was and another was not then come which are the Seven heads of that whores Beast and what again are these Ten Kings which are the horns of that Beast Revel 17.3 5 9 10 12. how shall these things be applyed to the Seat Heads and Horns of our wisdom and will Such an application will be an excellent Romance I le warrand Fourthly the great whore Babylon hath in her Harpers Pipers Trumpeters Craftmen Milstones Bridegrooms Brides c. Revel 18 22 23. But are all these things in peoples hearts in their wisdom The Quakers would make Heraclitus turn a plain Democritus nay almost a dead man to laugh himself alive by their jocund and facetious humor Lastly the place where Babylon stood becomes an Habitation of Devils the hold of every foul Spirit and a Cage of every unclean and hateful Bird after her destruction by the ten Kings Revel 18 2. But I would think that after the destruction of our carnal and corrupt wisdom that the Devil and all his foul Spirits should get the less access unto and worse lodging into our hearts where our carnal wisdom before remained Hence we see what a wild Romance the Quakers gloss upon the Beast and great whore amounts unto and upon how Ridiculous a fiction their apology for the Pope and Church of Rome is founded and yet I think the great Doctors of the Quakers deserves rewards at their hands for they have done what they could and who can do more Albeit the success and event which who can help does not answer their desires And now I hope that boisterous wind of Arrogance and storm of pride wherewith that supercilious Inscription of the Quakers the haughty Harbinger of these Queries did Insolently swell is a little calm'd and I trust I have by the evidence of Irrestible truth so overturned their Bulwarks and dashed the force of their Heretical Armado of falshoods that they shall not so confidently hereafter Summon the Armies of Israel with a defiance But if their courage be so undaunted that no routing of their Forces can abate it nor Impose silence upon them but they will still be smattering and will yet rally upon us with the new supply of a Reply then I must require them at the Instance of all rational Creatures to speak Reason and sense for in earnest not in jest I say it they are often so obscure in their Aenigmatical Riddles and abstruse Expressions of mysterious and Cloudy non-sense that they transcend and over-reach the most Metaphysical capacity of all mortals This demand is so exceedingly reasonable that I presume if any Quaker shall as yet have the boldness to Compear in the defence of their heretical Interest it will without further pressing be accepted and granted Another thing I must desire of the Quakers viz. That they trouble us not with new controversies as their manner is when they are overpower'd and non-plus'd in any one purpose to skip away to another and from that again to a third without either yeilding or satisfying untill they have First methodically in form and order answered and satisfied this Survey of their present Queries and this I expect to see at the Greek calends let the Quakers then who I have often heard are Threatening a reply perform these Conditions therein which most justly I demand or else I assure them for ought I yet know I will trouble my self no more with their Confuse Rapsodies of nauseous non-sense A Postscript for George Keith which I divide into two Sections The first shall wipe off his calumnies of Popery cast upon us The Second shall fix Popery upon
ye are in and repent if that be possible after ye have so abused the Truths of Jesus and his inheritance Second Section fixing Popery upon the Quakers Having discussed your charge of Popery calumniously 〈◊〉 against us I shall present a true one against you and that very breifly First Therefore for I resolve to adhere to the order of the queries above dispatched It is a Popish rule and a great one too That ignorance is the Mother of Devotion and ye both in those queries Quakerism no Popery pag. 98. are not a jot behind with them in that where ye condemn all means of knowledge both humane and divine and consequently knowledge it self seeing we cannot reach knowledge without the use of the means of knowledge whereby through Gods blessing we may attain unto it for extraordinary Inspiration is now ceased as is proved before nor must we tempt God to work extraordinary miracles and neglect and despise the ordinary means which he had allowed Secondly the Papists deny the Scriptures to have any authority over us or in order to us untill they get it from the Church whereby they mean the Pope and his Clergy and do also deprive the whole body of the people or Laity as they call them of the use of the Scriptures And do not ye also deny the Scriptures to be our rule at least our principal rule and endeavour to cause all men reject them at least as the principal rule Witness the proceeding Queries and your Quakerism no Popery And is not this one dish indifferent dressings for both of you aim to bring the Scriptures low yea to nought without your approbation they without their Pope and Councils approbation yea without the approbation of your light and sentiments within and so both of you agree exactly in subjecting the Scripture-authority to the authority of another rule which Inevitably must be as ye apprehend I am sure in both these articles ye are as like the Pope as any bastard can be like his father Thirdly The Papists and ye agree in denying Infant Baptism an external Christian Sabbath-day and Psalms-singing to be ordinances of Divine Institution under the Gospel they alleadgingthem to be only traditional ye that they are superstitious will 〈…〉 All which things we have seen in your queries Con 〈…〉 faith and Quakerism no Popery Sixthly 〈◊〉 have put three Articles into the last The Papists deny Bread and Wine to be in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper affirming that after the priests consecration it is no more Bread and Wiâ—e but is substantially changed into the very body and blood 〈◊〉 Christ so your brethren divinely Inspired as ye are in their fixth query here mock and scoff at the eating of bread and drinking of wine in that Sacrament making way it seems for that Popish Transubstantiation whereof we are the more confirmed because at the Sixteenth Query as I cleared before they lay down an assertion that cannot stand without the very grounds of that Transubstantiation Seventhly The Papists assert the Infallibility of their Pope and Councils and make that a ground of defence for their Church-constitutions and whole religion rejecting all that want the authority of such Infallible guides So do not you assert the Infallibility of your teachers Albeit often they are rather lunatick and oppose our Confession directory c. upon the very account of the fallibility of these that formed them though to no purpose as is shewed Eightly The Jesuit Papists worse then any of the rest stifly deny original sin and assert universal redemption universal light universal grace free-will in natural unrenewed men unto good and the Apostacy of the Saints all which I have shewed to be contrary to the Scriptures and in all these the Quakers are not a jot behind them but on the contrary do exceedingly out-reach them Fourteenthly For there are six articles in my last charge the same Jesuit Papists hold perfection to be attainable in this life Wherein ye are indeed more positive then they albeit still against the Scriptures as is before proved which shew us that according to Gods way of disposition for the debate depends not on potentia absoluta who will have us here to have a continual war with our corruptions that the victories of his grace may be the more glorious we the more humble and dependant on him Wee shall never here be fully perfect or freed from all corruption And Sir methinks ye strongly savour of supererogation too while ye say Quakerism no Popery Pag. 37.38 that ye can attain a sinless perfection in this life and yet grow in more degrees of grace for Sir when ye are altogether sinless and so neither God nor his law can ask any more of you as not being defective or unconform in a jot or else ye cannot be sinless ye may spare that which ye have more than is required and due to a needful friend or throw it into the Roman-Churches grand treasury of merit and be Canonized next day for a Saint for exceeding your duty and giving that overplus to the Church Fifteenthly Ye hold justification by your inherent righteousness and salvation by the merit of works as much as any Papist nay as the Pope himself does as is shewed Sevententhly for there are two in the last your brethren have endeavoured what they can in your Confession of Faith as we saw before And ye in your Quakerism no Popery Pag. 94 do sweetly also combine to clear the Pope from that reproachful name of Antichrist they alleadging that the Antichrist is our will and the Whore our wisdom that sits upon the same ye affirming that Antichrist more strictly taken is a spirit sitting in mans heart Properly which the Pope certainly is not and so according to you Sir we cannot at least Properly call the Pope Antichrist Ye are understood Sir Eighteenthly Ye hold the Apocryphal books at least many of them to be of divine Inspiration and consequently of equal authority with the Scriptures for every doctrine divinely Inspired is of Infallible divine authority and Scripture assurance or authority can rise no higher And herein Sir ye also joyn with the Papists And when ye ask which is your only argument by what rule of faith we know that these Apocryphal books are not of divine authority or equal to the Scriptures seeing the Scriptures says not whether they are or not I Answer that though by express Scripture sentence or plain positive saying this cannot be cleared yet seeing these books do all of them want Scripture-stile which by the rest of the undoubted Scriptures compared we easily see and they were not found in the original language of the Old Testament and they are never cited in the New Testament and in many of them there are things frivolous written yea quite unsutable and in some of them the writer excuses his failings and they were never accounted any part of Canonical Scripture in the Old Testament-times and this passes without